Financing for equity in higher education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students
4. Support for students' living costs
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
In The Gambia, between 2004 and 2024, the gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education rose steadily from 1.07% to 13.48%. From 2004 to 2012, the initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita fluctuated ranging from 102.06% to 67.24%, while the initial household funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita amounted to 46.88% in 2012.
Tuition-free status
Public tertiary education is not tuition-free. Instead, national policy emphasises affordability, stipulating that tuition fees in public tertiary and higher education institutions must not exceed 150% of national GDP per capita, placing an explicit ceiling on student fees rather than mandating free provision.
Governance
The financing and oversight of higher education are primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST), which oversees policy development, planning, and coordination of tertiary and higher education, including responsibility for mobilising and channelling public financial resources to institutions and students, through scholarships, student financial assistance schemes, dedicated financing mechanisms, and support for infrastructure, learning resources, and institutional facilities across the tertiary sector. Within MoHERST, the Directorate of Tertiary and Higher Education (DTHE) plays a central role in supervising post-secondary institutions, coordinating programme development, and managing scholarships, while working closely with the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA), which is responsible for accreditation, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance across tertiary institutions.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
No evidence was found of formal funding mechanisms that transfer resources from the central government to local governments specifically for public higher education. As reflected in the Local Government Act, The Gambia’s higher education system is centrally governed and financed, with financial management of public tertiary education remaining largely at the central government level rather than being devolved to local authorities.
2. Education resources to institutions
Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions
No policy or funding mechanism links public financing of private universities to the absence of public universities. At present, direct government subventions are provided only to a limited number of public tertiary institutions. While a Tertiary and Higher Education Trust Fund has been proposed to allow both accredited public and private institutions to access financing, which is not designed as a substitute for public provision, but rather as a sector-wide financing instrument based on performance and competitiveness.
Allocation and equity
Government subsidies to public higher education institutions are allocated primarily through institution-specific subventions from the central budget, with public tertiary and post-secondary institutions treated as subvented entities within the education sector. These allocations are recorded as distinct expenditure lines and include both recurrent spending and capital expenditure. The National Tertiary & Higher Education Policy 2014–2023 introduced a more structured funding approach, including unit-cost allocations by subject, student, level, and mode of study, enrolment-based inputs, and monthly government allocations linked to staff numbers and status, but these are presented as sustainability and reform objectives rather than established equity-targeted mechanisms. While new national funds, the Tripartite Funds, are designed to support infrastructure development, staff capacity building, research, and institutional quality through competitive and performance-based allocations, institutional subsidies themselves are not explicitly targeted toward specific equity groups, with equity considerations pursued mainly through student-level financing mechanisms.
3. Education resources to students
Admission for vulnerable groups
No evidence was found of formal admission quotas or legally defined preferential admission criteria for vulnerable groups at the tertiary and higher education level.
Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups
The Students Revolving Loan Scheme is a government-led student financing mechanism under the oversight of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST), established to expand access to tertiary and higher education for academically qualified students facing financial constraints. The scheme provides repayable loans to help cover tuition and related study costs at accredited post-secondary and higher education institutions and is positioned as a core student-level support instrument alongside scholarships and other sector funds. It is designed to be a revolving fund. Students repay their loans after graduation and employment.
4. Support for students’ living costs
Transportation
No evidence was found of national policies providing transportation, accommodation allowances, or textbook subsidies for students.
Accommodation
No evidence was found of national policies providing transportation, accommodation allowances, or textbook subsidies for students.
Textbooks
No evidence was found of national policies providing transportation, accommodation allowances, or textbook subsidies for students.
